African nations’ call to triple adaptation finance has been excluded from the agenda at the UN climate summit, COP31, taking place in Antalya, Turkey. Wealthy countries resisted efforts to formalise it as a binding item on the agenda.
On the summit’s first day, tensions arose as the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) sought specific consideration for their request. They have been advocating for this since discussions in Bonn, Germany, in June. However, COP31 president Murat Kurum stated that the issue could instead be addressed within the current agenda. Prior to the summit, the European Union signalled its unwillingness to accept a separate item on adaptation finance, as confirmed by Agence Europe. Following the African Group’s request, the EU and the UK reiterated their existing climate finance commitments.
Consequently, there will be no dedicated negotiations aimed at establishing, monitoring, and enforcing a pledge to at least triple adaptation finance by 2035, a target set at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, under the Global Mutirão decision.
Dr Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, chair of the AGN, described the tripling of adaptation finance as a key demand of the group at COP31. He stressed the importance of defining a clear baseline for assessing contributions to adaptation funding. “Without a clear trajectory, we won’t be able to measure progress effectively,” he explained.
The AGN is pushing for the tripling target to be prioritised in the cover text, the consensus-based political declaration at the summit’s conclusion. Uncertainty remains surrounding the baseline figure to be tripled. If it follows the Glasgow Climate Pact, annual international adaptation finance could rise to between $85 billion and $120 billion by 2035. However, adjusted for inflation, this would only meet 20 to 29 percent of developing nations’ adaptation needs, as noted in the UN Environment Programme’s Adaptation Gap Report 2026.
In 2024, international public finance for adaptation from developed nations reached between $28.2 billion and $31.7 billion, an increase of $1 billion from the previous year.
Amos Wemanya, senior climate adviser at Power Shift Africa in Kenya, highlighted a focus on mitigation over adaptation in negotiations, arguing that African countries must prioritise the latter as they grapple with the impacts of climate change. He asserted that Africa, which contributes little to the climate crisis, should not bear the financial burden of its own adaptation.
“For the tripling of funds to be effective, it must come with proper means,” Wemanya stated. With Africa accounting for about 4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions while facing severe climate threats such as droughts and floods, he underscored the need for external support. Southern Africa is currently preparing for El Niño, expected to bring dry conditions from late 2026 to February 2027.
